Latch lock mechanism for cabinet door

ABSTRACT

A latching device for releasably securing the unhinged side of a cabinet door or the like to its frame, thereby closing the opening formed by the door frame. The device includes a latch member having one end secured to the door with its other end projecting through the opening when the door is closed for engagement, upon opening the door, with a keeper member attached to the frame and extending into the opening. The latch member is provided with a hook at its free end having cam faces thereon which guide said keeper member into said hook, thereby preventing further opening or closing of the door.

United States Patent 1191 Feller LATCH-LOCK MECHANISM FOR CABINET DOOR64l,745 l/l900 Winter ..292/262 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Moore [76]Inventor: Arthur G. Feller, 2226 Williams street, Fort Myers PM 22211Attorney-Hood, Gust, lrish, Lundy & Coffey [22] Filed: April 26, 1971 57ABSTRACT PP 137,519 A latching device for releasably securing theunhinged side of a cabinet door or the like to its frame, thereby 521user ..292/s0 closing the Opening formed by the door frame- The [51]int. Cl ..E05c 17/36 device includes a latch member having one end [58]Field of Search ..292/DlG. 4, 80, 83, WI, 87, Secured l t e door withits other end projecting 292/262, 81, DlG. 65; 70/93 through the openingwhen the door is closed for engagement, upon opening the door, with akeeper [56] References Cited member attached to the frame and extendinginto the opening. The latch member is provided with a hook at UNITEDSTATES PATENTS its free end having cam faces thereon which guide said2,879,123 3/1959 Newcomer, 'Jr. et al. ..292/1 keeper member into saidhook, thereby preventing 3,621,684 11/1971 Horvay et al. ..292/87 Xfurther opening or closing of the door. 3,381,992 5/1968 Friesen..292/87 656,633 8/1900 Dutton ..292/262 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Q16 )46 22:I g vzs 24 42 44/ I 30 w M PAIENTEIJJAH30 1913 3,713,682

sum 10F 2 INVENTOR ARTHUR G. FELLER ATTORNEYS LATCH-LOCK MECHANISM FORCABINET DOOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION Thisinvention relates generally to hardware for a cabinet. More particularlythe invention concerns a fastening or latching device for a cabinet doorhinged at one side of a door frame opening. The device has particularutility in association with a cabinet, the content of which should notbe readily accessible or accidentally exposed to a certain class ofpersons, such as small children. The device also has application inhouse trailer cabinets in which the contents are subjected to shiftingand rolling as the vehicle travels along rough and winding roads.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a fastening devicefor hinged cabinet door which when closed cannot subsequently be openedwide enough to have access to the cabinet contents without firstdisengaging said device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latching mechanism for acabinet door which when closed cannot thereafter be completely opened orclosed until the mechanism has been unlatched.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a latch memberhaving one end supported on the unhinged side of a cabinet door with itsother end formed into a loop which entraps a pin-like member carried onthe door frame upon opening the door to thereby restrict the amountofopening.

An important object of the invention is to provide a latch member havingone end supportedly attached to a hinged door with its other end havingan open hook portion with oppositely facing cam surfaces thereon whichguide a keeper member carried on the door frame into said hook portionto thereby restrict door opening and closing.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention andthe manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the inventionitself will be best understood by reference to the following descriptionof an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view ofone form of cabinet with which the invention is associated;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view from the inside of the cabinetlooking toward the door which is now closed;

5-5 of FIG. 2 showing a slightly different arrangement; and

FIG. 6 shows the parts of the latching mechanism removed from thecabinet to better illustrate their relationship in performing theirrespective functions as the door is moved from open to closed positionand finally to open position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT R'EFERRING to FIG. I thereference numeral 10 designates generally a cabinet having a frame 12forming an opening 14 covered by a door 16 swingably secured to theframe 12 by hinges 18. I

A latching device 20 releasably secures the unhinged side of the door 16to the frame 12 to close the opening 0 14. The device 20 includes alatch member 22 mounted on the inner unhinged side of the door 16 and abar or keeper 24 mounted to the door frame 12. The latch member 22 andkeeper member 24 are preferably made of flexible, spring metal wires orstrips, sometimes referred to as bar-like elements, capable of somedistortion but with sufficient rigidity to function as fasteningmembers. The latch member 22 is provided with a mounting or supportingportion 26, an intermediate or shank portion 28, and a loop or hookportion 30, the latter of which is formed with inner and outer earns 32and 34 the purpose of which will become apparent as the descriptionproceeds. The book portion 30 terminates short of engagement with theshank portion 28 to provide a space 31 through which the bar or keeper24 passes. The supporting portion 26 of the latch is designed to receivea screw 36 which secures the latch member to the inner side 38 of thedoor with the free end 30 of the latch projecting generally in adirection away from the inner side or surface 38 into the opening 14when the door is closed, as best shown in FIG. 3.

The keeper 24, as best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5, is

formed with amounting portion 40 at its inner end, an

intermediate or shank portion 42, and a loop or hook portion 44 at itsouter end. The keeper 24 is mounted to the frame 12 by a screw 46,passing through the mounting portion 40. As mounted on the frame theintermediate or shank portion 42 of the keeper 24 extends into theopening 14 for engagement with the latch 22. The shank 42 of the keeper24, see FIGS. 4 and 5, lies in a horizontal plane parallel to and belowthe plane of the shank portion 28 of the latch 22 and also slightlybelow the space 31 so as normally to be engageable with the cam surface34. The intermediate portion 28 of the latch 22 crosses over or abovethe corresponding portion of the keeper 24, as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 5,with the door in closed position so that when the door is opened, as inFIG. 4, the cam surface 34 engages the keeper 24, causing it to becomeentrapped in the loop 30. the keeper 24, as shown in FIG. 5, extendsrearwardly or inwardly of the cabinet opening, to facilitate the cammingaction between the keeper 24 and the respective cam surfaces 32 and 34as the door is closed and opened. The loop 44 formed in the outerportion of the keeper prevents the latch 22 1 from becoming disengagedfrom the keeper if'an attempt is made to close the door after the keeperis entrapped in the latch hook, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The hook 44provides positive latching vmeans for the keeper. The dimensions of thelatch 22 and keeper 24 should be such that the fingers can be insertedinto the space between the door and frame to release the latch at a timewhen the latch is captured by the keeper, as in FIG. 4.

Reference is now made to FIG. 6 for a description of the operation ofthe latching device. Assume that the door 16 has been moved from itswide open position in FIG. I to a partially closed position in which thecam surface 32 of the hook 30 of the latch just abuts the intermediateportion 42 of the keeper. This relationship between the parts is shownin a of FIG. 6. Further closing of the door in the direction of thearrow as shown in b" has caused the hook 30, under the influence of thecam 32 to ride over the shank portion of the keeper 24. [f the door isnow moved in a direction to open it, as shown by the arrow in c of FIG.6, the cam 34 of the latch will engage the keeper 24 forcing it into thehook 30 where it remains entrapped until some positive action is takento release it. As now entrapped it is to be observed that moving thedoor 16 in a direction to open it, as in c causes the keeper to ridealong the inner portion of the cam 32, positioning the keeper 24 in theupper closed portion 50 of the hook. Moving the door 16 in a directionto ciose it, the keeper shank 42 due to its being preformed below thespace 31 engages the inner portion of cam 34 thus forcing the keeperinto the lower closed portion 52 of the hook 30. Consequently, with thekeeper 24 captured in the hook as in c", the door 16 cannot be opened orclosed. The latch 22 may be released, however, by depressing itdownwardly, see c and d", until the keeper shank 42 engages the latchshank 28, at which time the door, to which the latch 22 is attached, ismoved in a closing direction thus causing the keeper to pass through thespace 31 formed between the end of the hook 30 and the shank 28 asindicated in d. The door may now be completely closed if desired, as inFIG. 3. Also the door may be opened by raising the latch 22 to theposition in e" so that the hook 30 is clear of the keeper 24 and thenmoving the door in the direction of the arrow.

For convenience in installation, the mounting loops 26 and 40 may beformed elongated vertically instead of circular thereby providing avertical mounting slot receiving the respective screws 36 and 46 foradjustment thereon vertically of the keeper 24 and latch member 22,respectively.

While there have been described above the principics of this inventionin connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understoodthat this description is made only by way of example and not as alimitation to the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A latching device for a cabinet door hinged at one side to a frameforming an opening over which the door swings in closing relationshipthereto, said device comprising: a latch member having one end mountedto the inner unhinged side of the door with the other end of the latchprojecting into said opening; a keeper member having one end mounted tosaid frame with the other end projecting into said opening forengagement with said latch member upon opening the door a predetermineddistance, both members being of bariike elements, said latch memberhaving a loop-shaped hook portion at its other end engageable with saidkeeper member upon opening said door a predetermined distance to therebyrestrict further opening of said door, said hook portion having innerangularly related cam surfaces engageabie with said keeper member toentrap it within the confines of said hook portion to thereby controlfurther opening or closing of said door, said hook ortion being formedwith a space contiguous an end t ereof through which said keeper memberpasses.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said keeper member extendsrearwardly of the door opening to facilitate camming action between saidcam surfaces and said keeper.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein said keeper member has aloop at its other end engageable with said hook portion on said latchmember to thereby secure said door against closing beyond apredetermined amount.

4. The device as defined in claim 3 wherein said keeper and latchmembers are of spring wire, and the loop-shaped portion is substantiallytriangular in shape, the front side of the loop .being angled forwardlyso as to provide a cam surface, and the rear side of the loop beingangled forwardly also to provide a cam surface.

1. A latching device for a cabinet door hinged at one side to a frameforming an opening over which the door swings in closing relationshipthereto, said device comprising: a latch member having one end mountedto the inner unhinged side of the door with the other end of the latchprojecting into said opening; a keeper member having one end mounted tosaid frame with the other end projecting into said opening forengagement with said latch member upon opening the door a predetermineddistance, both members being of barlike elements, said latch memberhaving a loop-shaped hook portion at its other end engageable with saidkeeper member upon opening said door a predetermined distance to therebyrestrict further opening of said door, said hook portion having innerangularly related cam surfaces engageable with said keeper member toentrap it within the confines of said hook portion to thereby controlfurther opening or closing of said door, said hook portion being formedwith a space contiguous an end thereof through which said keeper memberpasses.
 1. A latching device for a cabinet door hinged at one side to aframe forming an opening over which the door swings in closingrelationship thereto, said device comprising: a latch member having oneend mounted to the inner unhinged side of the door with the other end ofthe latch projecting into said opening; a keeper member having one endmounted to said frame with the other end projecting into said openingfor engagement with said latch member upon opening the door apredetermined distance, both members being of barlike elements, saidlatch member having a loop-shaped hook portion at its other endengageable with said keeper member upon opening said door apredetermined distance to thereby restrict further opening of said door,said hook portion having inner angularly related cam surfaces engageablewith said keeper member to entrap it within the confines of said hookportion to thereby control further opening or closing of said door, saidhook portion being formed with a space contiguous an end thereof throughwhich said keeper member passes.
 2. The device as defined in claim 1wherein said keeper member extends rearwardly of the door opening tofacilitate camming action between said cam surfaces and said keeper. 3.The device as defined in claim 2 wherein said keeper member has a loopat its other end engageable with said hook portion on said latch memberto thereby secure said door against closing beyond a predeterminedamount.